Cane-loading apparatus.



' No. 790,826. PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

v. GOETZ, JR,

CANE LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witnesses No. 790,826- PATENTEDMAY 23, 1905.

' V. GOETZ, JR.

CANE LOADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904.

'2 sums-sum 2.

witnesses I Bttotncn) Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT UEETQE.

VALENTINE GOETZ, JR, OF NAPOLEONVILLE, LOUISIANA.

CANE-LOADING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,826, dated May 23,1905,

Application filed August 11, 1904. Serial No. 220,432.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VALENTINE Gou'rz, Jr. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at N apoleonville,in the parish of Assumption and Stateof Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCane-Loading Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in loading apparatus for the field,and is especially designed as a vehicle or cart provided withcooperating apparatus for hoisting and depositing cut cane from theground to the cane-carts.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a cane-loader adaptedfor use with large or small fields which although of an efficient anddurable nature may be cheaply constructed and which, owing to its lackof complicated parts or mechanism and its partially-automatic workings,is easy and quick in its operation, requiring no skilled operatives tooperate same.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a means for mounting thegrab or grapple whereby the same will be held rigid in whatever positionit rests and which at the same time is supported in such a manner thatit may be moved toward or away from a central support carried by thevehicle and may be elevated and swung around said central supporttransversely to load carts on either side of the loading-vehicle. Bythis construction the grab or grapple is allowed a fuller play, so thatit may be moved toward or away from the loader to pick up cane within areasonable area thereto, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the followingspecification, and the particular points of novelty will bemore dis-.tinctly pointed out in the claims.

In order that the said invention may be more clearly understood,reference is had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating thepreferred embodiment of the same, in which like letters designatecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of my loading apparatus mounted on a suitable vehicle,the grapple-hooks being shown in their open position ready to gather abunch of cane and parts of the tackle of the operating double block andtackle being broken away for clearness. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe apparatus with the grappling-hooks closed and elevated ready to beswung with its load to the cane-cart. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in sideelevation, of the grapple in its open position; and Fig. 4 is a detailview, in side elevation, of the grapple in its closed position.

In carrying out the invention I provide a vehicle propelled by suitablemotive power; but for the convenience of description I have illustratedthis vehicle as comprising a twowheeled cart or platform 1, providedwith a tongue 2 and a central upright or mast 3, provided with thestay-rods 4 and 5, the stay-rod 4 being rigidly aflixed to the tongueportion and the rods 5 being movably connected at their lower ends tothe guide-bar or traveler 6, whereby they may be moved therealong, so asto allow a fuller curve or sweep of the boom and operating-leverhereinafter referred to.

The central upright or mast 3 is provided with a fixed collar 7, andabove said collar 7 on said central upright is rotatably mounted aloosesleeve or spider 8, provided with spaced extension-plates 9 and theoperating lever 01' handle 10, disposed on the opposite side of thesleeve. Between the spaced plates 9 of said sleeve or spideris pivotallysupported the flattened end 11 of the swinging boom 12, which is stayedat its upper end by the stayrope 13. This boom 12 is provided with afixed collar 14, and pivotally secured to said fixed collar by thepivot-pin 15 is suspended the short arms 16 of the extensible andcollapsible support 16, the long arms 16 of which are pivotally securedat their inner ends by the pivot-pin 17 to the lower ends of the shortarms 16. The outer end of thelong arms 16 of said support is adapted tocarry the grapple hereinafter described.

The arms 16 and 16 of the extensible sup operating lever or handle 10.

port 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, are spaced apart, forming aframe-like structure, and on each side of the upper ends of the arms 16are arranged the curved brace-plates 18, pivotally secured at theirupper ends to the pivotpin and pivotally connected at their lower endsto auxiliary plates 19, secured to said This construction forms a rigidbrace for the lower end of the swinging boom and the inner end of theextensible support and at the same time by the pivotal connectionsallows the boom to be readily raised or lowered in a vertical planeindependently of the lever 10, but rigidly secured against lateralmovementindependentl y of the operating-lever.

Between the spaced arms 16 of the cxten sible support and at the outerend thereof is pivotally supported the cane grab or grapple 20 on thecentral pin 21, forming the axis of the jaws of said grapple or grab. Asclearly illustrated in the drawings, this grapple comprises the bars 22,to which are rigidly secured the teeth 23, forming a substantialcontinuation thereof. These bars cross each other and are swiveled onthe center pin 21. At the upper end of the bars 22 are pivotally secured the spaced bars 2 1, which are in turn pivotally connectedtogether at their upper ends, as at 25, the upper section of saidgrapple when closed being of diamond shape, as clearly illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4. The hook members of the grapple are also provided withthe curved tripping-bars 26, which normally extend in a horizontal planewhen the grapple is closed.

To the pivot-pin 25 of the grapple is affixed asingle block 27 ofablock-and-tackle arrangement and which is operatively connected with adouble block 28, carried at the outer end of the boom 12. The operativeconnection between these two blocks is the ordinary tackle arrangement,(designated at (L.,)Wl]l0l1 after passing through the double blockpasses downwardly to a suitable block 29 and thence running forwardly,where it is secured to the.

mule or other hauling power.

6 is a rope or cable diverging at its lower end and connected with theopposed trippingarms 26 of the grab. This rope or cable 6 reeves througha pulley 30 at the upper end of the boom 12, thence passes downwardly,reeving through another pulley 31 on a crosspiece 32, secured to themain upright 3, thence downwardly into proximity to the attendant.

0 is another rope or cable, which is secured at its lower end to thepivot-pin 17, connecting the short and long arms of the extensiblesupport 16, the said rope or cable 0 reeving through a pulley 33,carried at the outer end of the boom, thence reeving through a pulley34:, carried by the cross-piece 32, thence passing downwardly intoproximity to the attendant.

The operation of the device will be appar- 5 cut from the foregoingdescription, but may be summarized in the following: Thegrapple or grabbeing in the open position, as shown in Fig. 1, ready to close around abundle of cane, the mule hitched to the cable a pulling on same firstdistends the contracted arms 22 24:, which are then in the positionindicated in Figs. 1 and 3, until they reach the position indicated inFigs. 2 and 4, whereby the grapple or grab is not elevated from theground until the hooks have been completely closed around the heap, whenthe load is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2. In this positionthe spider or sleeve 8 is rotated around the central upright or mast 3by means of the operating-lever 10, and the boom, extensible support,and grapple are swung. transversely of the central upright either to theright or left, as the case may be,-to a position'above the cane-cart, itbeing observed that while being elevated all swaying motion of the grabis prevented by the arms 16", which normally turn on the axis 17. Thegrab being :now located over the cane-cart may be moved transversel ythereof for depositing the load of cane in any particular position inthe cart by means of the cable 0, which when opera-ted'will swing theshort arms 16 of the extensible support around the pivot-pin 15 forincreasing the length of the extensible support, or if the grab is to bemoved nearer toward the center post the cable 0 isallowed to relax, andthe arms 16 will be swung inwardly by the weight of the parts,thereby-decreasing the length of the extensible support. It will beobvious that the same operations will move the cane-grab when in itslowermost position, Fig. 1, toward and away from :the central supportfor picking up all the cane on the ground within a limited area withoutshifting the position of the cart. The grapple being in its elevatedposition, to dump a load it is simply necessary to hold the cable 6 tautand slacken the cable a, when the weight of the load itself willautomatically trip the grab, as will be apparent.

Although I have described the foregoing as being the preferredconstruction of the apparatus, it will be understood that I do not wishto limit myself to the exact details as shown and described, as it isobvious that many modifications might be madewithout departing from thespirit of the invention; but

What I claim is 1. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle,an upright carried by saidvehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supportedon said upright, a grapple carried by said boom, means for operatingsaid grapple toward or away from said upright independently-of saidboom, means for elevating said grapple, and means for swinging said boomlaterallyof said upright.

2. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom piy'otally supported on saidupright, a support pivotally secured to said boom and constructed tooperate toward or away from said upright, a grapple suspended from saidboom and connected to said support, means for operating said grappletoward or away from said upright through the medium of said support,means for elevating said support and grapple, and means for swingingsaid boom laterally of said upright.

3. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supported on saidupright, an extensible support carried by said boom, a grapple suspendedfrom said boom and connected to said extensible support,means forextending said support, means for elevating said extensible support andgrapple, and means for swinging said boom, extensible support andgrapple laterallyof said upright.

4. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supported on saidupright, an extensible support pivotally mounted on said boom, a grapplesuspended from said boom and connected to said extensible support, meansfor extending said support, means for elevating said extensible supportand grapple, and means for swinging said boom, extensible support andgrapple laterally of said upright.

5. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supported on saidupright, a collapsible supportcarried by said boom, a grapple suspendedfrom said boom and connected to said collapsible support, means forextending and contracting said collapsible support, means for elevatingsaid support and grapple, and means for swinging said boom, collapsiblesupport and grapple laterally of said upright.

6. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supported on saidupright, a collapsible support pivotally secured to said boom, a grapplesuspended from said boom and connected to said collapsible support,means for extending and contracting said collapsible support, means forelevating said support and grapple, and means for swinging said boom,collapsible support and grapple laterally of said upright.

7. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, an uprightcarried by said vehicle, a swinging boom pivotally supported on.

said upright, a sectional support carried by said boom, comprising ashort arm pivotally mounted on said boom, a long arm pivoted to saidshort arm, a grab suspended from said boom and connected to the outerend of said long arm, means for swinging said short arm around itspivotal axis for extending said support, means for swinging said longarm around its pivotal axis for elevating said grab, and means forswinging said boom,-sectional support and grab laterally of saidupright. 1

8. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, of a mastcarried thereby, a spider rotatabl y mounted on saidmast, a boompivotally carried by said spider, an operatinghandle carried by saidspider, side plates, bracing said boom laterally, and pivotal] yconnecting said boom and operating-handle, a grapple suspended from saidboom, and means for elevating said grapple.

9. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, of a mastcarried thereby, a spider rotatabl y mounted on said mast, a boompivotally secured to said spider, a grapple suspended from said boom,means for operating said grapple toward or away from said mast, meansfor elevating said grapple, an operating-handle secured to said spiderfor swinging said boom laterally of said mast, and side plates pivotallyconnected to said boom and handle for bracing said boom laterally.

10. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, of a mastcarried thereby, a spider rotatably mounted on said mast, a boompivotally secured to said spider, an extensible support pivotallyconnected to the lower end of said boom, a grapple carried by saidextensible support, means for extending said support, means forelevating said support and grapple, an operating-handle secured to saidspider for swinging said boom, support and grapple laterally of saidmast, and side plates pivotall y connecting said boom andoperatinghandle for bracing said boom laterally.

11. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, of a mastcarried thereby, a spider rotatably mounted on said mast, a boompivotally mounted on-said spider, a collapsible support pivotallysecured to said boom, a grapple carried by said collapsible support,means for extending and contracting said collapsible support,block-and-tackle connections between said grapple and the outer end ofsaid boom for elevating said support and grapple, an operating-handlesecured to said spider for swinging said boom and support laterallyaround said mast, and side plates pivotally connected to said boom andoperating-handle for bracing said boom against independent lateralmovement.

12. In loading apparatus, the combination with a vehicle, of a mastcarried thereby, a spider rotatably mounted on said mast, a boompivotally secured to said spider, a sectional support carried by saidboom, comprising a short section pivotally mounted on said boom and along section pivoted to said short section, a grapple carried at theouter end of said long section, means for swinging said short sectionaround its pivotal axis for ex-' tending said support, means forswingingsaid ICC IIS

bars, a boom rotatably mounted on said mast, a supportpivotally securedto said boom at its lower end, a grapple secured at the outer end ofsaid support, means for elevating said support and grapple, and meansfor swinging said boom, support, and grapple, when elevated, laterallyof said mast.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VALENTINE GOETZ, JR. Witnesses:

PHILIP H. GILBERT, R. L. MARKS.

